United States or Lebanon ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Si, si," said Anita, "I'll ask José to cut the fresh beef it has hung long enough in the cooling house." Supper at Last's was a lively affair. At the long tables in the eating room the riders gathered, lean, tanned men, young mostly, all alert, quick-eyed, swift in judgment. Their days were full and earnest enough, running Last's cattle on the Lost Valley ranges.
I slept fitfully, worrying, trying to plan. Within a few hours we would be nearing the asteroid. The time of sleep was nearly passed. My chronometer marked five A.M. original Earth starting time. The seal of my cubby door hissed. The door slowly opened. Anita! She stood there with her cloak around her. A distance away on the shadowed deck Coniston was loitering. "Anita!" I whispered it.
Gilbert and his brother Ralph and the other boys went toward the village, and so did the girls who lived in that direction. But Peggy and Alice and Anita Spaulding still lingered. "I'm going to tell them that I'll come back as soon as dinner is over and find the bird for them," said Peggy. "I know I can find it." "Oh, Peggy, maybe mother won't let you come," said Alice.
But I could flash the Earth signal now, and then we would have to make our run to escape. Then I remembered that light down by the base! I kept Anita out of sight down on the floor and went cautiously to a window. The deck was in turmoil with brigands moving about excitedly. Not because of what had happened in our tower signal room: they were unaware of that. Miko's signals were showing!
I hesitated, but I could think of no good excuse for refusing. "I'll be here an hour," said I. "Good day." He gave me no time to change my mind. Something perhaps it was his curious expression as he took himself off made me begin to regret. The more I thought of the matter, the less I thought of my having made any civil concession to a woman who had acted so badly toward Anita and myself.
The empty, silent deck was alternately dark with shadow patches and bright with blobs of starlight. A sheen of the Sun's corona was mingled with it; and from forward came the radiance of the asteroid's mellow silver glow. Anita turned to seal my door; within my faintly humming cloak I stood beside her. Was I invisible in this light?
There was confusion at the ladder top. I flung a bomb at the broken trap. A tiny heat ray came wavering up through the opening, but went wide of us. The instrument room was in darkness. I clung to Anita. "Hold on to my hand. You go first here is the ladder!" We found it in the blackness, mounted it and went through the cubby's roof-trap. I took another look and dropped another bomb beside us.
I will summon him at once." Ramon went to the telephone and by good luck found the detective free for the moment and at his service. He returned to the girl. She noticed that he reeled slightly in his walk; that his lips were white and set with pain. "Ramon, you are ill, suffering. That cut on your head and your poor arm " "It is nothing. I don't mind, Anita darling; it will soon pass.
Our moment, and then it was over. A step sounded. I sat back. The giant gray figure of Miko came past, his great cloak swaying, with his clanking sword ornament beneath it. His bullet head, with its close-clipped hair, was hatless. He gazed at us, swaggering past, and turned the deck corner. Our moment was gone. Anita said conventionally, "It has been pleasant to talk with you, Mr. Haljan."
I told her everything. "Oh Gregg! The Martian ship coming!" Her mind clung to that as the most important thing. But not so myself. To me there was only the realization that Anita was caught out here, almost at the mercy of Miko's ray. Grantline's men could not get out to help us, nor could I get Anita into the camp. She added, "Where do you suppose the ship is?"
Word Of The Day